GROTESQUE CAUTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 134, 8 June 1926, Page 7

GROTESQUE CAUTION.

SLOW MOTION BATSMEN.

IK THE ENGLISH TRIAL.

CLEM HILL'S CRITICISM.

(By CaMe.—Press Association.—Copyrigbt.)

• (Eeceired 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, June 7. After a two days' try-out at Lord's, responsible critics are unanimous in deploring the grotesque excess of eaiety play by potential Test match batsmen, who are described as "England's slow motion players."

Clem Hill, in a striking newspaper article, asks what ails the English batting? The players axe dull and slow, quite a foreign brand to that he knew in previous visits. Others support Hill's view. If the Lord's display indicates the spirit that is going to animate the Tests it will take a week instead of three days to secure a result. The critics are unanimous in insisting on the necessity for discovering and encouraging forcing batsmen of the type of Chapman, Fender and Duleep Sinhji, who are able to forget their averages.

"Even Hobbs," saye Hill, "was overleisurely, and took over three hours to score 85.. Sandham even refused to take risks when Kilner tempted him with full pitches to leg, and took two and a-half hours to make 34. Tyldesley and Hallows were both more than an hour in scoring 17. Jupp bowled for long periods without a man in the long field, yet Hobbs and Hendren did not attempt to exploit the opportunity, though Hendren at present heads the British averages."

"The form at Lord's suggests that players are unfit for anything higher than county cricket, owing to their grotesque caution. Kilner alone displayed clean and confident hitting, and the crowd was genuinely disappointed when Duleep Sinhji's brilliant catch sent him back to the pavilion."

Hill adds that for two days he has been watching the cream of England's batsmanship, but with the exception of Duleep Sinhji, Hobbs and perhaps Kilner, there was not a single innings that sparkled.

"At no time," declares Hill, "did the batsmen take command. Although the bowling was accurate there was not so much devil in it that batsmen could not have taken a risk by jumping out into the ball and hitting to the outfield. Perhaps the shadow of Trentbridge affected them aIL Hobbs is not the attacking player he was in Australia in 1912, but he has a tremendous responsibility. Chapman is not far from being one "of the best batsmen in England."

O. Kelleway in the "Daily Express" adds a trenchant note to the general chorus of disapproval. He points out that as an Australian he wants Australia to win, but the interests of the game would be better served if England were successful. He describee Hobbs' display as simply unworthy of England's greatest batsman. Kelleway adds: "I do not forget I was rarely accused of being exactlyl reckless myself, but I always tried to suit my play to the state of the game. I This has not been done in England in any match this season." He suggested that Carr is depending on slow batting and bad wickete to win the Tests. This was wrong. Each game should be played with the intention of forcing a I win. England must learn to go out for I the win from the first minute of play.